Using game guides / walkthroughs

[cookieface]

To walkthrough or not? I myself think that to play a game with a step by step guide in hand, is ridiculous. It kind of takes away the whole point of playing. Then again, some people just have a hard time finding stuff due to lack of experience with games, or something, and who's to take away their fun? The only time I will ever go to a guide, is if I get hopelessly stuck somewhere, and usually only when I'm trying to just beat the game already.

[Azure Chrysanthemum]

I generally don't have the time or patience to figure out every picky little puzzle that some deranged game designer's mind spawned. If I can't figure something out for myself after about... oh... ten minutes, I log on to gamefaqs. It's not that I don't think I could eventually figure it out (although some puzzles, like one in Xenogears I know I never would have figured out on my own), it's that I am not going to waste my time doing it. I have better things to do with my life than sit there for lord knows how long trying to figure it out.

[Germ Hamee]

Yeah, pretty much. I really don't see the point in playing a game if you're going to use a guide every step of the way, but I also don't see the point in it if you're not going to get anywhere because of some gargantuan lack of information in-game or a hellish puzzle built to haunt you in your dreams. I try to get through on my own, but sometimes game designer's expectations are ridiculous.

The only games I have no problem playing with a guide by my side at all times are: Pokemon (gotta catch 'em all and you KNOW it!), and FFXI.

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

I use guides for games that I know are going to take a lot of time to get through and may not interest me quite enough to play through a second time just to get all the secret junk. Final Fantasy games, generally.

[-N-]

I use Kishi.

[Dr.K]

I'm ok with using game guides for side quests, and things that are so ridiculously secret that you'd have to have ESP to find them. For a game that doesn't really need one though, I frown upon it.

[Aphelion]

I only use game guides when I'm stuck, or to see if there're any sidequests I didn't notice before going to the final boss castle, for example. When a game is in a foreign language (besides English and Spanish) I try to follow my own road, but in some games (like in my Japanese copy of Xenogears...bless that confused game seller) sometimes it's just better to go get a walkthrough...

[Craig]

I use them when I'm stuck.

Although to be honest there are some games that you need a guide, to beat the game. GTA: San Andreas for example.

[Sepho]

I use 'em. I've never had anything against using them, and back when I would play games from sunset to sunrise, I could afford to spend time finding where to go next. Now I can't =[

There're a lot of instances where I can't imagine figuring out what to do without some sort of guide or FAQ. Like recruiting Vincent in FF7. Can't see a lot of people finding that one out for themselves.

[Cloud No.9]

i'll flick onto gamefaqs when i get stuck. but i don't like being led around a game.

[Polyonymous]

If I get to a part that I just can't figure out, I will normally look for a guide. This doesn't happen often, and if I really like that game,after playing it through a couple times, I would go through with the walktrhough and make sure I take full advantage of all of the secrets (not that I would have missed much).

[Destai]

I use them when Im stuck or want a particular secret from the game.

[Dreddz]

I use guides if im really stuck, i ususally would spend a max of 20 mins on a certain puzzle, before becoming bored and going to gamefaqs.....

[ljkkjlcm9]

as I'm quite sure I said in a previous thread about this, I use guides for the massive charts and stuff that they have, such as enemy data in RPGS, lists of weapons, magic, armor, items, skills, all sorts of that stuff. I mean back in the day, FFI came with a map and all the monster data on the back!

THE JACKEL

[Vaprice]

I myself like to use strategy guides when Im playing a game such as...Ninja Gaiden....friggin hardest friggin frig friggidty de dy whee game....

but games that are easy shouldn't be used. But most of the time I try and stay away from them after I beat them...

[Lord Chainsaw]

I use a FAQ for King's Field II and I still can't get anywhere. It's pretty much a combination of that game being hellishly hard and that game scaring me out of my mind at the same time.

[XxSephirothxX]

I use them in two instances: when I'm really stuck, or want to complete some annoying sidequest/extra task that I'm not going to take hours upon hours to figure out.

[Sephiroths Clone]

I only use them for mainly RPGs and mainly japanese RPGs. I think im gonna need a FAQ for Radiata Stories cuz i dont think ill be able to get all 100 something characters on my own.

[kikimm]

Depends. If I'm in a good mood, and I like the game, I'll avoid using a guide at all costs. But if I'm annoyed/desperate/just want to get past this part I'll use it and not feel bad about it. I really don't see a problem with it, because, as people have said, there are some things you really cannot do without one.

[Yuffie514]

i only start using a walkthru when i get stuck. i'll try to play through though. some of them games, i don't need it much b/c i've watched my bro or cousins play before me.

[cookieface]

Yea that's true about secrets, and stuff. But I should have mentioned I was only talking about just getting to the ending (or an ending), not about finding every single side quest or secret.

As far as impossible puzzles. In my opinion, they are never that hard in quality games (esp. in modern games). And they belong to the experience of playing the game. Which is why I think it's a bad idea to use any guides when you are stuck, if you are looking for the full experience. But I can't relate to just playing every game that comes out anymore. I can't do that anymore, so I usually stick through everything if I'm playing a game. This is why it takes me so long to finish stuff. On this respect, I agree that, like I said, if you just want to finish a game that you're not too wild about already, why struggle. Although I can't agree with the reason that "it takes too long and I have better things to do". Then why spend time with it in the first place? That's what saves are for, you can spend an alotted time, save, then come back. no? That's my feeling.

[Discord]

Only use them when I really get stuck in a game and then I end up finding some switch that was supposed to be obvious, but I couldn't see it the first 366 time I walked through the area.

[DK]

The last thing I used a guide the whole way through a game was to find all of the Kerotan frogs on Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater. I hate those little bastards.

[crashNUMBERS]

[TR][TD]
I really don't care. I used to use giudes a lot but I relized that using it can cause to fight bosses at low level's. Which can be a bad thing most of the time. Many claim fighting at a low level is a more challenge but I just think that's an excuse. I still use guides though. Online guides. Im not gonna spend my money on what I don't need. I say this because I play most of it on my own now-a-day's but if Im stuck I just hop on my PC and go to RPGclassics or GameFAQ's...

[Lord Chainsaw]

Hot damn, crash, that is by far the coolest post I've ever seen.

[Giga Guess]

I only use guides if I'm absolutely stumped.

[Mirage]

I almost never use guides to get through the main parts of a game. The exceptions would be when I've been stuck at a puzzle for an hour without making any progress. That happens maybe once every two games I play.

[KentaRawr!]

Quite rarely, but I used to use guides for every game I played. (Back when all the games I played were RPG's.)

Now I usually use them for Glitches and Secrets.

[Crossblades]

I collect guides :)

[Captain Maxx Power]

Only if I get stuck for an extended period of time on a problem. Unless you're talking about something like an adventure game, whereby the game revolves around problem solving, then it's really just pushing in the right direction. FPS's and the like you still need skill to complete, even if you do know the way.

[BFM]

My take on this is I may go and buy the guide if I think I might have trouble with a particular game but I'll only read the basic instructions on how the game works and everything. The stuff normally covered in the instruction booklet which they do a much better job of explaining in the guide. Then if I get stuck and can't figure out what to do I'll refer to the guide only to get me through that part. Once I've beaten the game I read the guide and refer to it as I play a second time through.

[fantasyjunkie]

Sometimes I am just plain stuck. If i didnt buy the guide to San Andreas I woud have never been able to get as far as I did.

[xox LiNdZ]

I never use guides or walkthroughs, evenif I'm stuck at a part and can't figure out what to do. I'll just spend however long it takes. I prefer to beat the game on my own. My younger brother always uses guides and walkthroughs and cheat codes. I always get mad at him for it. So yeah, I'm completely against using them, but I know there are many people that use them.